Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Guys... here it is. Let's start our own version, right here, right now!! Please answer the same questions - HONESTLY - and post them!!I am off tonight. Like I said, It's going to be a longish trip. I'll be travelling forever tonight. But I'll catch you again from Chicago. Till then, adios amigos ( errrr.... hangover from 'Zindagi.....").

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Shobhaa DeTHE PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE – VERSION 1

What is your idea of happiness?It varies from day to day. Rainbows make me very happy. I am an absolute sucker for mushy, melodramatic films. Baby smells! I can’t get enough of my grand- daughter Anasuya Devi and her combined smells – a bit of puke, baby cologne, spit, poo… all of it. Just the thought of being at a great bar in a great city with a great person making great conversation… yeah… that definitely does it for me. So does red lipstick.What is your greatest fear?Losing control. Mainly over my mind. Being dependent… helpless. Being terminally bored. Being STUCK – mentally, emotionally, physically. The overwhelming desire to flee from tiresome situations and people… and there are so many of both. How far can I possibly run??Which historical figure do you most identify with?Napoleon. What a man! What courage. What a life. He should have married Desiree, his first and only love. History would have been different… no Waterloo! Moral of the story : listen to your heart… and save your ass.Which living person do you most admire?Binayak Sen. Cerebral. Courageous. Committed. And sexy. Now, if he’d only get on with the damn revolution!What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?Impatience. I get easily bored and restless. And I am extraordinarily poor at camouflaging my feelings…. this gets me into big trouble. Oh… I am numbers challenged, can’t count… this can be most embarrassing when calculating tips and taxi fares. My inability to fake it – whatever that ‘it’ is. Dirty bathrooms phobia – there’s got to be a name for this!What is the trait you most deplore in others?Lack of civility and grace. Boorishness. Vanity. Self-obsession. Crude and coarse behaviour. Pompousness. People who yell at waiters and ask that most annoying question : “Don’t you know who I am?” I’m always tempted to step in and say very loudly, “We all know who you are – the world’s biggest ass****.”What is your greatest extravagance?Travel. Taking time off from writing. I am a workaholic… holidays are precious and treated like guilty pleasures. But I have still to teach myself to switch off completely… I’m always on the job…. taking notes, scribbling observations… I often say to myself angrily, “Get over it, De. Get a life!”What is your favourite journey?Into an interesting person’s head and heart. Find me that interesting person!!Who is your favourite painter?M.F. Husain, by far. Picasso and Freida Kahlo are top favourites. But Husainsaab is above and beyond them all… simply put, I was privileged to have known a genius. To have watched him at work and play for forty years. What a rare human being… so full of contradictions – arrogant and compassionate. Impossible and considerate. But never ever BORING!!!!What do you consider the most overrated virtue?Patience! Why lose time over something that does not captivate your imagination instantly? Nothing really comes to those who stand and wait… don’t fall for that line ever! Just go grab whatever you desperately desire …. Before someone else beats you to it.On what occasion do you lie?When the truth really doesn’t matter all that much. And I can spare someone’s feelings in the bargain.What do you dislike most about your appearance?Ummmm…. let me put it this way – I have really nice ears. The nape of my neck isn’t bad either. Both remain hidden from view, so I can safely boast!Which living person do you most despise?All godmen and godwomen. At the moment, Baba Ramdev.Which words or phrases do you most overuse?No kidding! Goddammit! Are you sure??? Seriously speaking. On the contrary. Go to hell! Hello darling! Devaa Devaa!!!!What is your greatest regret?That I didn’t take tango lessons in my youth – preferably in Argentina. That I haven’t met Antonio Banderas. That I am not Woody Allen.What or who is the greatest love of your life?Words. My family and our pet Kiara. The moon. Gulmohurs. The heady fragrance of jasmine garlands.When and where were you happiest?Whenever my mother cradled me and placed my head in her lap, gently stroking my hair and forehead.What is your present state of mind?Restless. Of course. But restless-happy, as opposed to restless-frustrated.How would you like to die?Beautifully… dramatically… with a pen in my hand…. a smile on my lips… Smelling of ‘Arpege’….wearing red lipstick and high heels.What is your favourite motto?Don’t let the music stop… dance on!And the Benjamin Franklin quote : Either write something worth reading, or do something worth writing.

49 comments:

loved your post, wish I could articulate my trials and tribulations with half the finesse as urs....not always I agree with u (today, I do) but honestly, I do adore and admire the way u write..no pretence at all..

a) What is your idea of happiness?Sleeping; Lying on the bed and reading a book with a plate of munchies by the bedside. Summer mornings and evenings, winter mornings too. Flowers in full blooms. Giggling and talking with friends. Writing letters or long mails. Digging into SBDP and ice cream. Watching movies. Looking at old photo albums. Rereading old letters or notes.

c) Which historical figure do you most identify with?Ahilya Devi Holkar, who gave the Peshwas a good fight.

d) Which living person do you most admire?Aamir Khan, Rajanikant and Sonia Gandhi. Aamir for his astute business sense and “selling” himself so well. Rajanikant for being comfortable in his own skin away from the arc lights. He looks the man he is – in 60s minus his wig. (I don't know his age. I am just guessing). Sonia Gandhi, well, she had everything against her starting from her foreign origins. But, she is firmly ensconced in her position.

e) What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?Getting angered quickly.

f) What is the trait you most deplore in others?Self-obsessed and full of themselves. Those who yap away....like Duracell batteries.

g) What is your greatest extravagance?Books. Photography.

h) What is your favourite journey?Getting into someone else's shoes – Main wahana hoti to kya karti!I like travelling by trains a lot. And, I simply swear by the Lal Dabba (ST) buses. They haven't ever let me down when I travel in them from Point A to Point B.

i) What do you consider the most overrated virtue?Honesty. No one is ever completely honest or true to oneself.

j) What do you dislike most about your appearance?I have made peace with the fact that Fat is a shape – round one!

k) Which living persons do you most despise?Those who spread terror in the name of religion.

l) Which words or phrases do you most overuse?Chayla! Chyamari! What the hell? Just go away.

m) What is your greatest regret?That I have two left feet. I wish I could dance.

n) What or who is the greatest love of your life?My family home and the flowers/trees in my mother's garden – mogra, jaswandi and ananta.

o) When and where were you happiest?In my family home and in my mother's garden.

p) What is your present state of mind?Impatient and sulking.

q) How would you like to die?Maybe in my sleep. Haven't really thought. But, somewhere where there are flowers.

What is your idea of happiness?reading on the balcony overlooking the sea with a hot cup of coffee without having anybody to disturb me!! catching up with my girl/boy friends...smell of babies.. seeing a couple holding hands & walking without a care in the world..working in a library as the librarian- i could go on...

What is your greatest fear?that i forget to enjoy life..being dependent..

Which historical figure do you most identify with?Scarlett O'Hara;)

Which living person do you most admire?Sunanda Pushkar- she kept her cool till she was proven innocent.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?my short fuse which i always get into trouble for...

What is the trait you most deplore in others?hypocrisy- practice what is preached.. self- obsessiveness

What is your greatest extravagance?my books

What is your favourite journey?journey back home to see my child after a tiring day.. his smile erases all my stress away

Who is your favourite painter?Vincent van Gough & MF Hussain

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?honesty- how can anybody not have said a single lie in their life is beyond me!!

On what occasion do you lie?when the truth does'nt sound good enough..

What do you dislike most about your appearance?i like what i see although i wish i could do away with some weight :)!!!

Which living person do you most despise?men who think women are their sex slaves..

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?yaanni!!! no way!! shut up.. ayyada..

What is your greatest regret?that i dont travel as often as i would like..

What or who is the greatest love of your life?my family.. smell of rain on dry mud.. smell of jasmines early morning..friends..

When and where were you happiest?when i met & married the love of my life 4 yrs later.. whenever my mom would let my sis & me snuggle with her.. when my dad said tha ti am responsible enough to travel alone abroad (i was 17)..

What is your present state of mind?pleasantly calm for whatever reason (cant figure out why)

What is your favourite motto?family is like a seedling that you have to nuture in order to grow beautifully- mom on the eve of my wedding..live life as if today is your last day- Katrina in ZNMD..

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What is your idea of happiness?Sipping a hot café noir on the Champs-Elysees, watching the world go by.

What is your greatest fear?The loss of loved my ones

Which historical figure do you most identify with?Raja Harishchandra..b’coz I'm gullible and people take me for a 'royal' ride (pun intended)

Which living person do you most admire?Nelson Mandela, for bringing respectability and honor to the Blacks

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?Procrastination

What is the trait you most deplore in others?Cantankerous and belligerent attention seekers. Glib talkers with ulterior motives. On most occasions, I can see through them.

What is your greatest extravagance?Books

What is your favourite journey?The Amarnath yatra way back 30 years ago. It was as though I was actually living through the moments of the movie Mackenna’s Gold in terms of the pristine geographical beauty fraught with danger.

Who is your favourite painter?Antoine Blanchard, for the sheer magic of his strokes and the riot of colours. I can gaze at his work for hours and still learn something from them each time.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?Love, a powerful emotion that is more vocalized than felt. I find it being trivialized these days with most people ‘falling’ in love for the wrong reasons.

On what occasion do you lie?Almost never as I’m invariably found out.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?My nose. It’s noticeably disproportionate to my face

Which living person do you most despise?Currently, it’s Suresh Kalmadi

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?Hey Prabhu ! (in exasperation)

What is your greatest regret?That I could not match up to my father’s expectations.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?Paris

When and where were you happiest?When I traveled to the land of my dreams (France).

What is your present state of mind?Serene

How would you like to die?Peacefully in my sleep

What is your favourite motto?As clichéd as it may appear, but I still hold onto the motto ‘Live and let live’

Omg!!! Chicago? Only 2 hrs flight from Minneapolis!!! In addition why don't you stop by (mpls)as well & I would love to read your view on my boring hometown! Hey! We got biggest Mall of America thought! remember you can do lots of shopping for your girls & tell them all about the biggest mall in country!!!! :-$ Meanwhile, have fun & I'm going to come back here to do this fun game. Off to take my nap now. Safe journey hottie! lol

I know what my next blog will be...this questionnaire and will send you the link with all of my answers. Loved the blog and every bit of you being yourself... impaitient, which kinda resembles me lol... Btw, just now I came across a groupon on Chicago, might want to check it out! Love Chicago, one of my most loved places, no special reason, just like that! Enjoy and do visit the Sears Tower and Hancock Building to enjoy the view from Ladies Bathroom! haha, we girls get way too many priviledges :) :)

In between work hours got some time and thought will answers these questions maam...its like the test we see in "Zindagi na milengi ......"

What is your idea of happiness?rain when am trvelling in bike,seeing comedy films,doing yogaWhat is your greatest fear?depthWhich historical figure do you most identify with?vivekanandaWhich living person do you most admire?my husband and my motherWhat is the trait you most deplore in yourself?anxietyWhat is the trait you most deplore in others?people shouting on others without any reason... What is your greatest extravagance?if am able to get some free time from tight schedule life chores...hmmmmmWhat is your favourite journey?any holiday trip with familyWho is your favourite painter?Ravi varma :)On what occasion do you lie?hmm when its required....Which living person do you most despise?many who boast without any reason ,there is no other topic ever for them Which words or phrases do you most overuse?oh god...What is your greatest regret?that i didnt learn dance :(What or who is the greatest love of your life?my hubby and my parentsWhen and where were you happiest?on any occassion when all my work is over and lying down resting my back.....What is your present state of mind?anxiousHow would you like to die?happily.....gracefullyWhat is your favorite motto?Belief creates the actual fact..

Ms de love u, I woke up, read this beautiful post which just brought a smiles from heart. No wonder I follow u. I will answer them all n share with frns to know some of most interesting answers frm them.

What is your idea of happiness?Enjoying the simplest pleasures of life. Flowers, kids, smiles, heartfelt conversations. Shopping, no matter what I am shopping for., Pictures, yoga and Food of course.What is your greatest fear?Helplessness, autophobia and Losing closest persons.Which historical figure do you most identify with?Gautama Budha, in the aspect of introspection.

Which living person do you most admire?RajniKanth for his grounded nature inspite of being worshipped as a demi god, he know his roots.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?Restlessness., I get easily irked when I find people who fake., n lack of serenity to accept things that I can’t change, Sensitiveness sometimes which puts me in trouble., Autophobia N yes dirty bathroom phobiaWhat is the trait you most deplore in others?Ill-mannered, self boasting, lack of concern, false prestige and selfishness. What is your greatest extravagance?Owning a farmhouse at a hill station. What is your favourite journey?any fulfilled or romantic journey is my favouriteWho is your favourite painter?My mother, world of painting has been introduced to me by her. Whatever I have seen in my early ages were her paintings. Street side artists who often go unrecognized. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?Humility, which is often exploited as lameness.On what occasion do you lie?When truth doesn’t matter.What do you dislike most about your appearance?Belly fat. yuck hate it.Which living person do you most despise?Ruthless, crude and religion obsessed.Which words or phrases do you most overuse?Really?, Oh my God, u kidding me, r u sure?, love it, oopsy daisy, okie dokieWhat is your greatest regret?Not being able to continue learning music and dance.What or who is the greatest love of your life?My family, Moon, Coffee, n foggy hill stationsWhen and where were you happiest?With dad when he pampers me, with mum when she cuddles me, with bro when he soothes me and with myluv when he does all the above What is your present state of mind?Morning freshness How would you like to die?Without knowing, may be while I was asleep.What is your favourite motto? Whatever you can do, or dream, begin it. Boldness has a genius, power, n magic in it - Goethe

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Ajit..get a grip on reality.you are going crazy and threating people online? Really?Also,get a Life while you are at it. your psuedointellectual banter might impress the foolish, not me.Passing your opinions on someone else but then acting like a teenager when someone passes thiers. Act your age and stop embarrasing yourself.

Ajit,Like I said, how is it acceptable for you to tell shobha to keep her opinions to herself on HER webpage?Everybody is entitled to thier opinions, not yours.you know my name?WOOhoo...big deal.FYI I am an engineer too and instead wasting time, boasting of stupid google voodoo magic which might impress the non technological soul, suggest you don't do it and make yourself look well immature. If you dont like Shobha's opinions stay away and I dont always agree with her, but we americans take our freedom of speech very seriously. I have no place or tolerance for the intolerant and ignorant. You say you care about your country men yet you slam half the populace on your blog. Maybe you should take that time to address issues like child labor,child abuse and the thousands dying of hunger in your country as we speak.Now that would make me admire you not your mumbo jumbo.you are free to be a hindoo or jew or whatever it is you want to be.Nobody cares.

P.S:Sorry Shobha for making your blog a battlefield. I will take the high road from here on :)and put my energies to go out for a run :). So I rest my case.

What is your idea of happiness?Watching a dog ..i feel very good and happy,long drives,long walks,talking to likeminded friends,excercising,working i love my work and yes earning good income via my labor of love ,change of scenary,drinking green tea ,clean dry bathrooms.What is your greatest fear?losing confidence.Which historical figure do you most identify with?Birbal for his intelligence and cleverness he had a solution to any problem put to him.Which living person do you most admire?Shobhaa De- i absolutely love her , i admire her bcoz she is a success in all roles of her life professionally she has made a name for herself , good marriage , great mother and a fantastic person i mean foundation of her life is based on values and principles such people are rare i am proud of my choice.What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?overanalysing people and situations,short temper,impatience at times ,cleanliness phobia which irritates others,unorganised my clothes ,books are never in order i have tried but have given up it upsets me.What is the trait you most deplore in others?people who dont take care of themselves, who spit on roads i cantstandthem,overcautious,overpractical,brooders,sufferers who enjoy suffering even when they have choice,people who abuse trust, use others to meet their ends ,phonies.What is your greatest extravagance?Books related astrology,numerology tarot.Coming up Traveling!What is your favourite journey?Analysing people based on their Sun sign and bithdate.Who is your favourite painter?none.What do you consider the most overrated virtue?Dont be selfish- i think otherwise its good to be selfish sometimes and think for yourself it will help in the long run.On what occasion do you lie?nonessential issues. What do you dislike most about your appearance?i should be careful of my weight i have tendency to loose weight i quite dontlike the way i look when iam underweight. Which living person do you most despise?Terrrorists who kill innocent lives in the name of God,people who cheat their own country be it sports, administation etcWhich words or phrases do you most overuse?okay,i believe,tell me.What is your greatest regret?not telling fewpeople who harmed me at a certain phase of my life to get off and get lost.I wish i had taught them a lesson they would remember for the rest of their lives.What or who is the greatest love of your life?My work , my God and people who truly care for me.When and where were you happiest?during childhood i would wait for my summerholidays to go to my native place and play with my cousins i was happiest then.What is your present state of mind?Positive,serene, grounded, confident...looking forward to the best!How would you like to die?I had this flash daytime sometime back about my death i was quite old and sensing something is not right may be i sensed my death was near i had a cleint in my office i listened to him and wrote a solution as i wrote the last alphabet and completed i was gone (dead)there was smile on my face that i finished my work and i could be of help to someone till my last breath.What is your favourite motto?"Life is beautiful live it beautifully!Dont anticipate the worst look forward to the best!Always be positive - Dont compromise on values and principles -shobhaa De"Trust life even if it scares you to death- osho tarot

Here are my answers to questions you have asked to all:What is your idea of happiness?:-Sunday morning....snowing outside...seating on sofa under warm rug, a big thermos of tea and spicy breakfast is ready, and start watching FRIENDs from 1st season and order on phone in between good food....this is my idea of happiness.

What is your greatest fear?

:-Being ill and dependent on anybody in old age.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

:-Shivaji Maharaj

Which living person do you most admire?

:-Mark Zuckerberg

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

:-Impatience and sometimes jealousy

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

:-Peeping into other's life and commenting on any topic without knowing the truth.

What is your greatest extravagance?

:-travelling, shopping for clothes and eating in expensive resturants

What is your favourite journey?

:-Flying to any beautiful island far away from usual city chaos

Who is your favourite painter?

:-No one. as i really don't understand anything from paintings and so really do not care who paint what.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

:-Simple living and high thinking. High thinking is good but simple living is not always good.

On what occasion do you lie?

:-whenever I feel necessary. Depends on the situation.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?

:-My always changing weight.

Which living person do you most despise?

:-Indian politicians

What is your greatest regret?

:-My biggest regret is that I wasted hell lot of time in doing nothing than Time Pass during college days.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

:-Myself, Money and my freedom

When and where were you happiest?

:-Oh holidays, with my hubby and also when doing time pass with my friends.

What is your present state of mind?

:-Boared and Frustrated with daily routine.

How would you like to die?

:-withing fraction of a second , without any hospital visites.

What is your favourite motto?

:-Live and let others live. Do only those things which you feel correct and best for your own life.

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